I'll Be Right Beside You
by localizy
Summary: Harry wants to apologize to Andromeda.


**Disclaimer: I do not own the magic that is Harry Potter. **

**Author Notes:** This story came to me one night after reading a fiction that had Andromeda angry about her family dying. It got my wondering, would she be angry? Who would she be angry at? Then I though more about Harry's character and how he pushes everyone away because he doesn't want them to get hurt or killed like Sirius or his parents. I think he would feel personally responsible for all the death, but probably mostly for the deaths of Fred, Remus, and Tonks. Once I started thinking these things I just had to see what happened, so I wrote while listening to Snow Patrol (it's a good ride hop on it). Their song Run partially inspired this story.

Please, please review and let me know your thoughts on this. It was a very difficult and emotional story to write. I hope that comes across.

**I'll Be Right Beside You**

Harry took a deep breathe before knocking firmly on the solid, wood door in front of him. Out of everyone he visited and wrote to, this was the hardest. He trembled from fear and sadness, but held his ground as the door slowly opened and Andromeda Tonks stood before him, Teddy in her arms. Andromeda's eyes widened in surprise and opened the door fully, ushering Harry in. She sat him in the sitting room, plopped Teddy in his lap while she went off to get a pot of tea.

Harry sat on the couch, holding Teddy and watching him as he changed his hair from brown to bright turquoise in his excitement to see his godfather. Teddy grabbed at his glasses and laughed as Harry attempted to turn his head, but only managed to get hit in the ear by Teddy's flying baby fist that clutched his glasses. Andromeda stepped into the room and giggled as he watched her grandson play keep-a-way with the youngest seeker in the 100 years.

"So Harry, what brings you here today?" she asked as she picked up Teddy, set him in his playpen, and gave Harry back his glasses.

Harry took a deep breath and attempted to pull the words he had worked on for weeks out of his mind. He had a speech prepared, he had it memorized, but when push came to shove the prepared speech was gone.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, tears beginning to prick in his eyes. "I just wanted to say I was sorry."

"Child, about what?" Andromeda asked, handing Harry a handkerchief without even blinking an eye.

"It's my fault. That your husband, that Tonks and Remus died…they shouldn't-I didn't want them-I just…I'm sorry." Harry lost his battle holding back his tears and they started running down his cheeks. "It's my fault. It's not fair that I am still here and they aren't-that Teddy-"

Andromeda sat and looked at him, tears brimming in her own eyes. She thought about how unfair it was; that this young man, this child was still carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. She got up and sat down next to him, gathering the sobbing Harry into her arms. She spoke softly hoping to calm not only him, but herself.

"Harry, it's not your fault, please stop thinking that. Ted died. It's horrible but he died trying to help in the only way he could. He knew he was putting us in danger staying with us and he thought we would be safer if he was on the run. He also thought about all the young muggle-borns out there, that he could maybe protect some of them. I am sad he died, but I am so proud that he was able to help people that needed it while they were hiding."

Andromeda drew a breath before continuing. "As for Nymphadora and Remus, that isn't your fault either. They went to fight because they knew they could help make the world a better place for their son. Remus tried to make Nymphadora stay, but she needed to be with him. She needed to help. It's in her blood to help people and fight for those who need help. That is why she was a great Auror. Neither of them wanted to leave Teddy, but they both told me that this way they would make the world better. Helping you win, helping you beat Voldemort is the best legacy they could leave Teddy with. Please Harry, stop blaming yourself. Teddy will know his parents. I'll tell him what brave people they were and you will tell him how they helped his godfather save everyone. Remus and Nymphadora might not be here, but they are within him and both of us. That is what we have to hold onto and what we have to tell him."

Harry looked up at Andromeda and nodded letting the guilt go and finally finding peace as he watched his godson, change his hair from turquoise to pink to yellow. She was right, as much as he felt that he was responsible for all the death that occurred, those that were close to him; Remus, Tonks, Fred, all of them were within him. He would not let their sacrifice be in vain. He would be happy and live his life that they gave him to his fullest. He smiled at Teddy and asked Andromeda, "So when can I buy him a broom?"

Andromeda looked at the Boy-Who-Lived and laughed so loud that Teddy stopped playing and looked up in concern. "When he is walking, we'll talk about it Harry. Right now why don't you spend time playing with him while I clean up." She gathered up the tea things and started out of the room but stopped to listen when she heard Harry talk to Teddy.

"You know Teddy; both your parents were pretty fantastic. Your Dad taught me how to do a Patronus charm and was one of my parents' best friends. Your Mum, she saved my sorry butt many times, sometimes while wearing a pig's snout. Oh, I have to tell you about the map-"

Andromeda shook her head and kept walking to the kitchen. It still hurt that her family was reduced to just Teddy, but like she told Harry, they were still around. They were in Teddy's hair colors, eyes, smile, and they were in the stories that people would be telling Teddy for many years to come. They would be proud, just like she was of them.


End file.
